


:r[E]

by wolfgun



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, I can't deal with death, Post Ending E, Spoilers for Ending E
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-01 17:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10926681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfgun/pseuds/wolfgun
Summary: “Pod 042 to Pod 153. Analysis: 2B’s black box signal is operating at optimal levels. Hypothesis: 2B will inevitably wake.”“Pod 153 to Pod 042. Query: When?”“... Hopefully soon.”[What happens after the [E]nd of YoRHa?]





	1. [E]nd of the B[E]ginning

It flickered in and out, growing stronger with time; just like a flame. At some point, it regained a semblance of consciousness; it endured through the weight of existence, the void of oblivion.

 

And one day, it unfurled suddenly--into something with thought, a _being--_ and slowly, slowly, the memories flooded in.

 

The moments from _before_ rushed in with the force of a waterfall, battering the consciousness and filling the emptiness inside. Despite the sheer multitude of _things_ from this previous life, it felt right.

 

But one thought stood out among the others-- _why?_

 

{--+--}

 

“Pod 042 to Pod 153. Analysis: 2B’s black box signal is operating at optimal levels. Hypothesis: 2B will inevitably wake.”

 

“Pod 153 to Pod 042. Query: When?”

 

“... Hopefully soon.”

 

{--+--}

 

It took a full day for a complete system overhaul; the pods checking, double-checking, and testing all the necessary counterparts of the android, making sure the various parts they obtained worked together seamlessly, eliminating the possibility of failed revival.

 

“2B. Can you hear?” Pod 042 prodded 2B. The pod picked up a faint whirring noise, and immediately hovered over the android’s face.

 

2B blinked, eyes adjusting to the surroundings slowly, the bright midday sun blinding her. The pod obscured much of her vision, thankfully; but it was still rough on the new system. Carefully, she curled and uncurled her fists, and then tried to sit up. A shock rode up her spine, causing her to grunt.

 

“Unit 2B, this is Pod 042. Good morning. How are you feeling?” 2B groaned in response, head thudding dully on the concrete.

 

“I feel like absolute shit,” she muttered, running a hand over her stomach. It was smooth, as if A2 had never...

 

She immediately sat up, a rush accompanying the sudden movement, her vision spinning for a brief moment.

 

“Pod, where’s 9S? And A2? What happened?”

 

“Unit 9S is in standby mode, awaiting startup. Unit A2 is gathering materials.” 2B lurched forward, clutching her head. No matter how hard she tried to remember, it all ended with her getting stabbed.

 

“What materials?”

 

“Materials needed to repair 9S.”

 

“... I see.” She picked up the ribbon lying beside her, but instead of tying it around her eyes, she fastened it around her wrist.

 

“Pod 153 to Pod 042. How is 2B feeling?” 2B’s head whipped up, surprised to see A2 following Pod 153 into the area.

 

“I quote, from response earlier made by 2B: ‘like absolute shit.’”

 

“I see,” Pod 153 responded, before carrying on conversation with the other pod about logistics and systems functions. A2 paused in front of her, pulling out several salves.

 

“A2,” 2B started, but stopped short. The A2 before her now was recognizably A2, but instead of the tattered garments 2B had last saw her in, she was wearing a new YoRHa-issue dress. Her hair wasn’t a mess anymore, either, and her body had no scuff marks or dirt. Unable to hold the other android’s gaze, 2B glanced around and rose, her system beginning to warm up. They were on top of a building in the City Ruins--that much was for sure, but what she wasn’t sure of was--

 

“2B. Glad to see you’re awake and kicking.” 2B blinked, a bit concerned she didn’t hear any sarcasm or scorn. It sounded like… A2 was being genuine. 2B opened her mouth, but A2 was quicker. “9S is resting in the level below. I just came back up to move you as well… But.” She looked 2B up and down. “I see that isn’t necessary anymore.”

 

“What--”

 

“I’ll explain everything later. Or maybe your pod will. Right now, I’m sure there’s something--or someone, for that matter--you’d like to see first.” A2 picked up her salves and began to walk away, 2B scrambling after her on unsure legs.

 

“You’re--you’re not… tattered,” 2B finished lamely, and A2 just sent her a glance.

 

“You can thank your pods for that.” Both pods floated quietly behind 2B, but at A2’s acknowledgement 042 spoke up.

 

“Pod 153 and I worked tirelessly to assemble and repair former YoRHa units 9S, A2, and 2B. A2 regained consciousness 103 days ago.”

 

“You two did this?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

2B followed A2 down a crumbling slope of debris, and broke into a jog the moment she saw that familiar white hair. She knelt beside 9S, propped up against a column, and took his face in her hands. “9S…”

 

“Unit 9S’s black box signal is weak. Reason unknown. A2 has been performing routine maintenance and system checks.” Pod 153 hovered over 9S, robotic arms lowering slightly, as if upset.

 

“I’ve done some hacking into him to see what the problem was,” A2 said softly, “but so far, I’ve been met with almost nothing. The only defensive system he has is a huge, impenetrable wall. No shooters, nothing.”

 

“So… what you’re saying is…?” A2 sighed and turned to the side, crossing her arms.

 

“Right now, it’s almost as if he’s an empty shell. There may be a wall there because there isn’t anything--”

 

“What do you mean!?” 2B leapt up, gritting her teeth. But then, just as suddenly as it had started, the fire inside her went out.  “What--just what happened to you two anyway?”

 

“... It’s not going to be easy to explain.”

 

“I don’t care. Show me, then.” A2 gazed at 2B, then, and held her there for a moment. Then, she leaned back and waved a hand dismissively.

 

“Pod. Show her.” Pod 042 floated up in front of 2B, almost reluctantly.

 

“...Pod 042, Initiating playback. 300 days ago, beginning at 2B’s death.” A screen popped up, and 2B watched herself fall into the yawning abyss below. And then, 9S ran up from the bridge--and fell as well.

 

The tower rose from the ground below--and the rest, 2B watched with rapt attention; Pod 153 filling in from 9S’s side the resource recovery units, keys, and Popola and Devola’s resolve. Then, if that weren’t enough, the journey through the tower itself, and finally, the fight between 9S and A2. 2B finally averted her eyes as 9S bled out, struggling vainly against the sword in his gut--2B’s sword.

 

“Playback complete,” the pod said, into complete and utter silence. The holoscreen dissipated, but still 2B remained speechless. She sank to her knees.

 

“That…”

 

“Not exactly what you were expecting, huh?” A2 walked up beside her and then followed the other android’s gaze. It was fixed on 9S. “He… thought I killed you with ill intention.”

 

“Why… why didn’t you tell--”

 

“He wouldn’t have listened. You were dead, and that was enough for him. I…” A2 trailed off then, walking up to 9S and taking a strand of his hair in between her fingertips. 2B’s gaze snapped away, then, and she stared hard at A2. “He needed someone to quell his anger. Something… to make him feel anything other than what he was feeling then. So I became that for him.”

 

“You…”

 

“You’re awfully eloquent aren’t you?” A2 mocked, but it carried no bite. She sighed again. “In all honesty, I… was happy to die. When I woke up, I was so, so angry--I spent a good 50 days just wandering all around trying to find machines to kill.

 

“And then, I found you two,” A2 added, voice going quieter. “I don’t--I don’t really know why, but I wanted to see you two walking around again. I didn’t mean for 9S to…” She ran a hand through her hair, suddenly, and huffed. Her tone changed back to something less precarious. “Anyway, you’re welcome. And for your information, before you get all upset too--you were in the same state 9S is in right now. So, in other words--” 2B interrupted her, turning again to 9S.

 

“It won’t be long.”

 

{--+--}

 

Long is… relative. Long, to a human, in reference to time, is infinitely shorter than an android’s perception of time. Even shorter are animals, and then plants, and then insects. Androids, after all, aren’t alive.

 

“...But aren’t we?” 2B mused quietly into the crisp morning air, watching her breath wisp away. The City Ruins looked peaceful--if that’s even a word for it. A layer of fog enveloped the ground below, and a soft yellow sun shone weakly on the horizon.

 

“Up already?” A2’s boots marked her arrival, but her voice still managed to startle 2B.

 

“...As if I ever sleep,” 2B muttered, and A2 just took a seat beside her.

 

She felt worried when her eyes were off of 9S--like they were now, even though they were on the same floor and the pods would notify her if there was any change--2B still felt the gripping urge to glance over. She summoned her sword--and it manifested without preamble in her palm. It clinked as she turned it over.

 

If she stared too long, it was almost as if she could see the blood smeared on the blade, glittering all the way up to the hilt. She grimaced.

 

“He’s steadily getting better,” A2 said, looking across the city. The way it echoed made goosebumps appear on 2B’s skin. It was never this quiet when 9S was around; her grip on the sword tightened.

 

“I know,” 2B said softly, as A2 retreated, deeper into the building complex.

 

{--+--}

 

Here, it was warm. The bright light washed against a consciousness, a soul, and tried to pull it even further.

 

“Will you come with us?”

 

The consciousness writhed in its indecision, reevaluating itself. What reason does it have not to go? What has it been fighting for? Living for?

 

And yet, something still urged it to stay.

 

“I…” The consciousness flickered weakly, like smoke. “I’ll… stay.”

 

“Very well,” the voice said, growing weaker. The consciousness plunged down, out of the light. It grew colder by the second.

 

“We YoRHa,” the consciousness whispered, gaining, “don’t deserve to be loved by this world.”

 

Everything went dark.

 

{--+--}

 

The consciousness floated, for an immeasurable amount of time. In the darkness, the only thing it could cling to was a single name; capable onyl of remembering its significance--not  _why or who_  or _what_. It echoed around endlessly.

 

2B.

 

{--+--}

 

2B  was tasked with the job of finding any odd, useful items among the wreckage of the ruins by A2; apparently, by the android's standards, 2B was 'going to sprout shrooms' if she stayed beside 9S any longer. 2B agreed, partly, but 9S's black box was fluctuating dangerously these days. One minute it'd be steady and low, and the next it'd spike. But only for a moment.

 

It's been enough not only to cause a lot of confusion, but also a shit ton of turmoil for the group as well.

 

She made her way slowly to the Resistance Camp, unwilling to see the state the area was in now. A2 had explained it to her, but... it was still hard. Apparently, all the androids in the Resistance either went crazy or fled. Not to mention it was almost impossible to get close to any kind of being they saw--they were former YoRHa, after all, and anyone that knew any better ran.

 

Still, 2B sighed into the dusty air, and started to sift through the rubble in the camp. Surely Popola and Devola must've left something useful...

 

She was reaching into a box when Pod 153 whizzed straight past, careening into the wall. 2B jumped back from the impact, sword materializing.

 

“What the--”

 

“Unit 9S’s black box signal has grown considerably!” it chirped, barely able to free itself in its haste, “A2 requests 2B’s presence immediately!”

 

That’s all it took for 2B to break into a sprint, the two pods moving just as quickly beside her.

 

“What happened? Why?”

 

“Unknown,” the pod answered, waving its arms, “It was sudden, like a bomb blowing up!” 2B snorted.

 

“You two sure are trying your hardest with metaphors,” she remarked, not unkindly. Lately, the two pods have been noticeably more present. Not just as tools, but more as companions. It's as if, in the short time 2B had been gone, they each developed personality.

 

“Incorrect. Pod 153 was actually using what’s called a ‘simile.’” Pod 042 hovered into 2B’s field of vision. She huffed.

 

“Like that’s important right now.”

 

She reached the building where A2 was keeping 9S and took no time climbing the steps--and burst onto the floor where the scanner laid. A2 whipped around at 2B’s sudden arrival.

 

“Good, you’re here,” she said, and if 2B didn't know her any better, she'd have thought that A2 was angry with her by the tone she used. She was worried--they both were. “I’m not sure if we’ll get another chance like this--he’s been particularly bad lately, so--” 

 

“I got it,” 2B interrupted, and leaned down over 9S. She pressed her ear to his chest, and was relieved to hear the steady, strong hum of the black box.

 

“Unit 9S’s black box signal has almost reached optimal operating levels. However, it is unstable,” Pod 042 cut in, and 2B jerked backwards.

 

“Alright,” she said, “Let’s see what we can do.”

 

{--+--}

 

The consciousness suddenly began to float rapidly downward, a force pulling insistently. Scenes began to rain down on it; at first it was just places, people, things--but it quickly began to turn into more. A connection was made, then--and in a flash, the consciousness began to absorb it all.

 

The emptiness inside it was filled in an instant--and suddenly the consciousness was no longer a consciousness, it was a being--it had memories, it was--

 

“...S,” A voice called out, echoing loudly--making his head ring, “9S!”

 

He gasped awake, groaning at the sudden assault on his processors, and then squirmed as he was being pulled into a crushing hug. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking in an unfamiliar scene. An android was sitting off to his right--one with long hair… that vaguely resembled A2.

 

“A2?” he mumbled, and then cried out as something twinged inside his head. The last thing he can recall is… the scene on top of the tower. His memories rushed in like a dam had burst, causing a sharp pain behind his temple. He opened his mouth to say something, anything--to yell, to cry, to scream--but someone gripped him tighter, and he looked down.

 

“2...B?” He said it almost in disbelief, and then wrapped his arms around her as well. “You’re… we’re…?” 9S gripped her tighter, cheek rubbing against short white hair, and even though 2B was laughing, something he’d never known 2B to do--he knew it was her. He rested his head on her shoulder, and finally, his tears slipped out. “2B,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

 

“Nines,” she breathed, while A2 looked on, the corners of her lips betraying her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'see, I can't deal with anyone being dead and 9S still hating on A2 so I had to do this.  
> I'll post a secondary chapter with a little kind of prologue in just a bit.


	2. B[E]ginning of the [E]nd

“So,” 2B started one day, as 9S and A2 dug through the Resistance’s storage, “153. Why didn’t you just contact me via comms when 9S woke?” The pod floated over, seeming to contemplate its answer.

 

“I do not know,” it stated, and gave a little shrug, “it just felt urgent.”

 

“You know calling me would probably have been faster,” 2B scolded, and the pod wilted. “It’s not like the satellites have suddenly gone out of orbit.”

 

“In hindsight, you seem to be correct. I was not in my right mind at the time.”

 

“2B!” 2B turned at the sound of her name. 9S waved her over. “I found what looks like a whole bunch of plug-in chips! They look pretty high-end, too.” She gazed into the box as well, and her eyes widened at the sheer number of them.

 

“Damn. It’s like they were preparing for war.”

 

“Might as well have been. Man, it feels so long ago,” 9S laughed, shrugging. He picked out a seemingly random chip. “I don’t think we have this one yet. A2, will these even work with your model?”

 

“... Of course,” she murmured, and then began to go through them. 2B watched the other two androids carefully, sighing inwardly. A2 had really changed since the Tower. She no longer sought out violence and wasn’t as reckless--she was still pretty rough around the edges, but instead of high-strung, she just seemed... lost.

 

9S was different as well; he often stared into the distance when he didn’t think anyone was watching, his face dropping. His eyes would fall, and for a few moments, it’d seem like he was somewhere far away. It scared 2B, sometimes, to think that he’d go someplace she couldn’t follow.

 

It also made her wonder if she had changed as well. She probably had.

 

“Do you even have any plug-in chips installed?” 2B asked, and A2 paused.

 

"No." 9S whistled lowly.

 

“And you’re _that_ strong without them?”

 

“I don’t know if you remember, 9S, but you beat me on the Tower.” A brief, awkward air filled the space between them, and A2’s expression flashed, almost apologetically. 9S teetered from foot to foot; for once, speechless.

 

“Ah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean… yeah, but--”

 

“I’ve never seen this one before.” 2B pulled out a plain silver chip. The overlying tension in the air dispersed as 9S and A2 set their attention elsewhere. “Usually the chips are engraved with circuits or some lettering, and are matte white.”

 

“This is a Type chip,” 9S informed the group, pulling it from 2B’s grip. “This looks to be… for a model with healing capabilities.”

 

“Looks useful,” A2 cut in, snatching it from 9S and putting it in her storage.

 

“Hey,” 2B murmured, a thought popping inter her head suddenly, “Do you think it’s possible for us to revive Popola and Dev--”

 

“Not likely,” A2 muttered darkly.

 

“Oh, those two...” 9S echoed, hanging his head for a moment. His face contorted into a soft frown, and he turned to gaze toward their resting place for a brief moment.

 

“Popola and Devola expressed their wish to us pods when we came across them,” Pod 042 explained. “They wished to end their lives in peace.”

 

“We told them that you three, 9S, A2, and 2B, were being repaired at the time to give them peace of mind,” 153 chimed. A2 just turned away.

 

It was silent after that exchange, only being broken by a moose’s distant baying and the sorting of materials. As the sun began to set, A2 rose, her hands on her hips.

 

“I think we’ve pretty much cleaned this place out,” she declared, and both 2B and 9S stood as well. 2B had been sifting through weapons, picking out the best ones and pocketing them, while 9S was tasked with installing new programs on the pods. At the moment, though, he was writing something down in his notebook. 2B peeked over his shoulder.

 

“What’re you writing?” He jumped slightly, shutting the book and putting away his pen.

 

“I’m just…. documenting,” he said, shrugging. “Any kind of data I want goes in here.”

 

“Like?”

 

“Well, uh--” he flipped it open, and pointed to a page with a drawing of a small machine on it. “I was really into observing machines before the world went to hell, see--” he flipped some more. This time there was a machine that 2B recognized as a follower of Jean Paul. “I don’t know. It interested me, so I wrote it down.”

 

“...If YoRHa found out about that, they’d wipe you.” 9S made a face, and then smirked.

 

“Good thing we aren’t YoRHa anymore then, right?”

 

{--+--}

 

9S sat on top of a long, winding root, overlooking the ruins of the Tower. Overhead, the moon was bright and full, washing the entire area with a soft, other-worldly glow. It was crazy to think that just a couple hundred years ago, this place was a real city, with real humans, living so differently.

 

They would never know the kind of struggle the androids took part in for their sake. They would never know what happened to YoRHa, to the aliens and the machines, to A2 and 2B and himself. They would never know their only hope would be a couple bytes of data, stuck to the moon's surface. 9S sighed and settled again, bringing his knees up to his chest. He startled as 2B landed beside him, and made a show of clutching at his chest.

 

“Holy gods above, you scared me,” he puffed, which prompted an eye roll.

 

“No gods exist,” she replied, making 9S smile.

 

“I know.” They were quiet for a time, sitting in companionable silence. Usually, 9S was the one to keep up conversation between them, but something about the night made him hold his tongue. It might have been because he felt particularly weighed down by his sins right then, or because of the fact that the moon, and by some extension, humanity, was watching. It could have been because 2B was beside him. It was a while until 2B spoke up again.

 

“... By definition, aren’t we something akin to gods?” 9S laughed.

 

“Then we make some pretty lousy gods, don’t we?” He glanced to the side, only to find 2B’s light blue eyes staring right back into his. She grinned.

 

“We sure do.”

 

{--+--}

 

Androids didn’t dream.

 

Or that’s what 2B had thought; it’s not like they really sleep, either--just their definition of ‘sleep,’ which is something more like a halfway powered-down mode that allows them to conserve energy and restore a portion of it.

 

Lately, however, when she was ‘asleep,’ memories would flash through her head--of 9S. Of their happy times together, the bright days when the sun illuminated his face and he smiled. But also the bad times, of when her hands were wrapped around his throat, or when she’d wake up and 9S wouldn’t know who she was.

 

It was a perfect, pretty lie; perpetuated over, and over, and over again.

 

It was YoRHa’s lie; 2B was just a lie. She was a lie.

 

And yet, she didn’t feel connected to her true identity at all. YoRHa was no more, leaving her free to be 2B. So why did it always come back to haunt her?

 

“You must be in more pain than you’re letting on.” A2’s voice echoed around the barren concrete, after watching 2B rouse herself from a ‘nightmare.’ “You were writhing in your sleep.”

 

“... Androids don’t sleep,” 2B hissed, looking away.

 

“Yeah,” A2 commented drily, “and we don’t _feel_ , either.”

 

{--+--}

 

It wasn’t until much later that 2B finally confronted 9S about anything.

 

That day, they were confined to the lower level of a building; a storm had taken to the city ruins and belted out rain, angrily pelting the grass and animals unlucky enough to be caught in its wrath. A2 was stuck elsewhere with Pod 042, while 153 was with 2B and 9S.

 

They walked further into the complex, surveying the area. A sharp clang caught 2B’s attention, and as she looked down, a machine’s head rolled away from her boots. At a second glance, it seemed that this building had an abnormally high amount of dead machine lifeforms in it. She made a face.

 

“Huh… weird,” 9S commented, voice echoing eerily off the tired concrete. The noise from the rain outside half-drowned out his words, and as 2B opened her mouth to reply, a loud clap of thunder cut her off. 9S jumped. “Holy--” 2B watched with barely-concealed amusement as 9S adjusted the cuff of his jacket to hide his embarrassment.

 

“You get scared easily, don’t you Nines?” She teased, grin widening as 9S tried to cover himself.

 

“No--no, I just--” He waved his hand around in the air, as if trying to convey his abstract feeling. “It’s just, I guess I’m so relaxed these days that I don’t really expect anything?” 2B hummed, frowning slightly. If anything, she was even more tense than before. 9S seemed to follow her train of thought, because when he spoke up next her breath hitched.

 

“Ah, I don’t mean to pry, really--but… lately, you’ve been… kinda off. Are you worried about something?”

 

“... No,” She eventually answered, though even to her ears it was a plain lie. 9S didn’t look convinced, either.

 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but it might make you feel better is all,” he remarked simply, shrugging. “If you change your mind, let me know. We’re partners, after all, right?” 2B’s chest constricted as she watched 9S turn to watch the storm, rain falling from the sky in a never-ending assault. She just sighed, and moved to stand beside him.

 

It took her a while, through a rough bout of indecision and anxiety, to gather up the courage to say something. It was, after all, a topic they’ve both avoided, and as a result, their companionship felt strained. She took a deep breath.

 

“Nines,” she started, and 9S looked over at her quizzically, though his expression changed the moment he saw how serious she was. “I...I’m sorry,” she said haltingly, not quite sure how to relay her dilemma.

 

“About what?” he murmured, the corners of his lips turning down.

 

“...About everything, I guess.” 2B turned away, instead watching the raindrops hit a leaf a couple feet from her. It was part of a flower; one that had stubbornly sprouted from in between the cracks of the pavement, just below the doorway. 9S was quiet, waiting for her to continue. Even 153 was silent--its regular whirring, which would have seemed loud in this situation, had ceased.

 

“For not being honest with who I was--who I am,” she continued, and saw 9S take a deep breath from the corner of her eye. They stood in silence for a little bit longer, until 2B was sure she would set the flower ablaze by how hard she was concentrating on it.

 

She didn’t want to kill it, so she looked back to 9S--only to find him staring at her with a gentle smile.

 

“To me,” he started, and the silence seemed to shatter once and for all, “you are only 2B. You didn’t kill me because you wanted to. I even requested it, more than once.” 2B frowned, at a loss, as he stepped toward her. “I did some things I’m not proud of either--A2 is the same way. All we have is eachother--” he pulled 2B into a hug, and his voice wavered slightly, though it was still strong. “And if I were stupid enough to be angry at _you--You,_ out of everybody--” 2B gripped his shoulders tighter.

 

“But--”

 

“I know already, 2B. Maybe, at some point, I had always known. You were paired with me, over and over--I was so happy to finally have someone around that I turned a blind eye to it.” 2B nodded, and 9S rested his forehead on her shoulder, trying to pull her closer. “Don’t be sorry--because you were, and continue to be, the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” She tightened her grip again, and 9S just smiled, feeling wetness seep into his jacket.

 

He found himself tearing up as well; 2B was a silent crier, he noted, though her shoulder shook as she inhaled. 9S tangled his fingers in the hairs at the nape of her neck. There were many things that the two wanted to say--but this was enough for now, they thought, as the rain continued to drone on not even 5 feet away.

 

 

“Ending transmission from 153,” Pod 042 stated, and A2 watched the holoscreen blink away.

 

“You know,” she said, turning her gaze outside, “those two sure took their time. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but--well, at the rate those two were going, 2B would’ve run herself into the ground.”

 

“Agreed. I believe it had something to do with ‘feelings,’ as it is a new concept to both accept and then grasp.”

 

“You’re telling me,” she grumbled, joints clicking as she got up and stretched. “Anyway, a little water won’t hurt if we run over to them, will it? ... I guess I should clear some things up between myself and 9S as well,” she added as an afterthought, peeking into the sky.

 

“Course of action unadvised,” 042 said, “the rain could damage both my own processes as well as yours. Due to lack of available parts and maintenance, I recommend: Don’t. Seriously. However, talk with 9S is encouraged.” A2 gave the pod a withering grimace, to which 042 remained stoic, as always. Then, she gave it a wicked smile.

 

“Well then, I’ll just go by myself, scaredy-cat.” She then took off into the rain, the clouds parting to reveal a sliver of sun on her. It made her white hair shimmer, turning it silver. Pod 042 sighed, and then hovered around the entrance, searching.

 

“Excuse me,” it said, and then proceeded to pluck a large, sturdy leaf from a huge vine growing near the door. Positioning the leaf over its head for cover, it shot after the android. “A2, what is a ‘cat’?”

 

{--+--}

 

“What--! A2, what did you do to my pod!?”

 

“What do you mean?” A2 twirled 9S’s pen around in her hands, smiling at her handiwork. “He looks so much better this way.” 2B groaned, and then fixed 9S with a piercing gaze. He ducked slightly under her scrutiny.

 

“And you! Why did you give A2 your pen!?”

 

“Hey, woah! She just told me she wanted to take a look at it! I didn’t know she would do _that!”_ He gestured to Pod 042, who floated over to 153.

 

“153. Please show me what A2 has done.” The pod was quiet for a brief moment, and then a screen popped up in front of it. It used its camera as a sort of mirror, and displayed it on the screen.

 

“...I see,” it chirped eventually. A2 had drawn a face on the pod-- huge, round eyes, and a zigzag mouth with what looked like a tongue sticking out. “I do not dislike this kind of change in appearance, though it is very odd.”

 

“Like hell you do! 9S, does it wash off?” He shrugged, and went over to inspect 042’s new face as well. He then turned back abruptly to A2.

 

“A2, you insulted my drawings, and yet this is what _you_ draw?”

 

“What, can’t you all take a joke? It’s meant to look like that.”

 

“So, in other words, I am supposed to be ‘ugly’?” A2 pursed her lips, looking away.

 

“Well, ugly is relative,” A2 said, at the same time 9S tried to cover his exclamation up with, “I never said that...”

 

“Uh-huh. Sure,” 2B muttered, crossing her arms and glaring lightly at the two of them. She then snatched the marker from A2’s hands, and turned to Pod 153. 9S suddenly jumped in front of it.

 

“Woah, 2B! What do you think you’re doing!? Take it easy!”

 

“It’s fine,” she said flippantly, “this washes off, right?”

 

“Uh--”

 

“And if it doesn’t, then, well--equivalent exchange.” 9S grabbed the pod and enveloped it in his arms, taking a step back each time 2B took a step forward.

 

“A2 was the one who defaced _your_ pod, so why do you have to exact your revenge on _mine!?”_

 

“You’re the owner of the pen,” 2B reasoned, and 9S pouted.

 

“That’s not fair!”

 

“Life isn’t fair,” she growled, and then took off.  A2 watched both of them dash around, 9S scrambling to escape 2B’s clutches. She snorted softly, and Pod 042 floated up quietly beside her.

 

“A2. What are you doing?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You seem to be expressing some kind of glee.” A2 blinked up at the pod, and then promptly looked away. The only other time she remembered feeling like this was long, long ago. An image of Number 4 popped briefly into her mind, and she brushed her fingertips over the side of her mouth.

 

“Yeah,” she murmured, eyes flicking to 2B, who had finally cornered 9S, “I guess.”

 

{--+--}

 

“9S.” A2 approached him as he tinkered with his pod. He hummed in acknowledgement, a screw in between his lips and a slew of parts scattered around him. The other android seemed to want to leave, but then decided against it and took a step forward with purpose. After all, this had waited for too long.

 

She had been thinking of how to approach this for a while--but the final straw was the dream she had last night. A2 had thought that she had been keeping a tight check on her emotions and memories; she was even proud of the fact she wasn’t getting hung up on the events following 2B’s death.

 

But still, it had caught up with her--she finally understood what 2B had been experiencing earlier, although it was less guilt ridden and more of a general, penetrating feeling of regret. A part of her didn't understand how 2B could be so resilient; even from that one time she stabbed 9S... She banished that image from her mind.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said in a rush, and glanced down at the ground. As her hair sifted down to cover her face, 9S waved his hands in front of him, the screw falling from his mouth.

 

“Woah, woah, woah! What’s this all of the sudden? Does it have something to do with that time you opened my notebook and insulted my drawing skills--”

 

“No,” she cut in, trying to talk past the way her chest constricted, “The Tower, in particular--I didn't mean to--”

 

“A2.” She jerked her head up to meet 9S’s eyes. He smiled. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was reckless, only driven by my hate for the world. You have nothing to apologize for. 2B was the one who told you to look after me, after all--and besides,” he added, “it all turned out alright, didn’t it?”

 

They both didn’t want to think about what would have happened if things hadn’t. A2 nodded, head bobbing.

 

“Yeah,” she choked out, and then sighed. 9S shuffled forward, and pulled her into an embrace--and she froze. "Uh... you don't have to do this..."

 

"It's fine, right?" A2 just sighed, grasping the fabric of his jacket.

 

"...For now," she whispered.

 

{--+--}

 

“Hey,” 2B called one day, after they spent a day fishing in the pond near the Resistance Camp, “what’s that thing that Pascal said humans can’t explain?” 9S frowned, tilting his head to the side as he thought.

 

“Uh, life?”

 

“No, that’s universal. He said it was something androids and machines were programmed without--something that would make us more human.”

 

“Emotions?”

 

“Closer, but… I’m pretty sure we have those. It was a kind of feeling in particular--” 9S snapped his fingers, and 2B glanced over.

 

“Oh! Was it love?”

 

“Ah! That was it. Thanks,” she said, and continued to walk back to the building. 9S watched her go, an indescribable feeling swirling in his gut. And suddenly, it all clicked together, all while his eyes were fixed on her retreating figure.

 

“Oh,” he murmured. “Fuck.”

 

{--+--}

 

The desert sands pelted them relentlessly as they trekked across the wasteland. The pods occasionally took to shielding the androids from getting sandblasted, only for the shield to disappear and then manifest again.

 

“So, uh… not that I don’t love a good adventure and all, but where are we going?” 9S raised his voice to be heard over the roaring wind, and A2 sighed in response.

 

“We’re going to see if there’s really any machines or androids left,” 2B replied, spitting out a mouthful of sand as the shield broke once again.

 

“... What if the androids are infected with the logic virus?”

 

“Units 9S, A2, and 2B should dispose of the infected androids immediately,” Pod 153 stated, and A2 kicked the sand, cursing harshly.

 

“Honestly, it was so nice and peaceful back at the City Ruins. Why didn’t we just stay?”

 

“It’s been around 10 years since then,” 2B yelled, “those androids are probably dead, and we need supplies.”

 

“It’d also be cool to find out more information on the humans!” 9S said, waving his journal around. “On the way back, we should also visit Pascal. He wanted more information about them too, didn’t he?”

 

“... Right,” A2 muttered, looking away. 2B glanced at the horizon and sighed, unable to see anything further than 10 feet in front of her.

 

“042, are you sure we’re heading the right way?”

 

“Affirmative. Maps obtained from the Resistance Camp storage imply a rocky terrain just beyond the desert in this direction, and beyond that, forest and more cities. Satellite mapping indicates this as well.”

 

“Alright, then.” 2B takes a deep breath, and then continues to press on. “We’ve got all the time in the world, after all.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is ! Lol, I really love writing their dynamics. I'm not sure I really portrayed it quite in the way I wanted, but... well. I'm a solid advocate for each of them embracing their feelings and learning to 'live' after the Tower. Yes. Anyway.


End file.
